Government of Taigavu
The Government of the Republic of Taigavu exercises executive power in Taigavu. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who is the head of government, and both senior and junior ministers. Senior Ministers are titled as Ministers whereas junior ministers are titled as Assistant Ministers. A smaller and more powerful executive body called the Federal Executive Council (the de facto ''body of executive power), which is composed of ministers and is chaired by the President of the Republic and formalises the decisions of the Cabinet which is chaired by the Prime Minister. Composition and formation All members of the Taigavu Government are appointed by the President of the Republic on the advice of the Prime Minister. Members of the government are ranked in a precise order, which is established at the time of the governments formation. In this hierarchy, the Prime Minister is the head of government. He is appointed by the President of the Republic. Whilst the President is constitutionally free to appoint whomever he likes so long as they are an MHR, in practice he must nominate a candidate that reflects the will of the majority of the House of Representatives, as the government is responsible to Congress. After being nominated to lead a government, the Prime Minister nominee must propose a list of ministers to the President. The President can either accept or reject these proposed ministers. Ministers are ranked by importance: * Ministers of State are senior ministers, and are members of the Executive Council and Cabinet. It is granted to all Ministers whom are the political heads of the government departments. * Assistant Ministers are junior ministers. Assistant Ministers assist the Ministers in their work and represent them in the opposite chamber. Although not members of the Executive Council they are members of Cabinet. * Secretaries of the Department, are the civil servants who have been selected based on merit to run the Departments in a non-political office. They may attend meetings of the Executive Council if required. Functions According to the Constitution of the Republic of Taigavu, the government directs and decides the policy of the nation. In practice, the government writes bills to be introduced to Congress and also writes and issues Executive Orders (EOs). All political decisions made by the government are registered in the Government Gazette. All EOs and some bills are agreed to by cabinet and approved by the Executive Council. Furthermore it is the Cabinet that defines the legislative collective political and policy direction of the government, and takes practical steps to implement that direction. In addition to writing and implementing policy, the government is responsible for national defence, and the President in Council directs the actions of the Defence Force. The workings of the government of Taigavu are based on the principals of collective government. '''Practice' Meetings of the Federal Executive Council take place on every second Tuesday at the Grey House. They are presided over by the President, who promotes solidarity and collectivity amongst members of the executive government whether serving in political or non-political roles. These meetings follow a set format. In the first part of a meeting, the Council deliberates over bills, appointments, and instruments. In the second part, the Council discusses individual decisions by each Minister regarding the appointment of senior civil servants. In the third part, usually either one Minister or Secretary will give a presentation about some reform or project that they are directing, or the President will ask for advice on some subject from the Ministers. In the fourth part the Executive Council votes to confirm the decisions made by Cabinet, only the Prime Minister & Ministers may vote with the President holding the final word. In addition, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Secratary of the Armed Forces provides the Council with weekly updates on important international issues. If required the President in Council can announce any appointments or decisions made such as the appointment of Fedearl judges, and the appointment of ambassadors and high commissioners. Meetings of the Cabinet take place every Wednesday in the Executive Office Building or Congressional House. Cabinet meetings are stricty private and discuss vital isssues and formulate policy. Cabinet is divided into two tiers. The inner Cabinet consists solely of Ministers of State while the outer cabinet constists of Assistant Ministers. The Constitution does recognise the Cabinet as the 'Government' however its decisions cannot hold legal force until they are approved by the Executive Council. Most government work, however, is done elsewhere. Much of it is done by each individual ministry, under the direction of the Minister responsible for that ministry. Ministers each have their own staff, called a "ministerial cabinet" Each ministerial cabinet consists of around ten to twenty members, who are political appointees. Cabinet members assist the Minister in running a ministry. Members of ministerial cabinets are powerful figures within the government, and work in both the political and administrative spheres The hierarchy in each ministerial cabinet is determined by the Minister. Working groups consisting of representatives from several ministries are commonplace. It is the duty of the Prime Minister to oversee these inter-ministry meetings, and to ensure that governmental work is done effectively and efficiently. Budget The government is responsible for the economic and financial policy of the Republic, this is done through the Taigavu Federal Budget. The Federal Budget is a document that sets out the estimated revenues and expenditures of the Treasury Department in the following financial year, proposed conducts of the Government operations in that period and its fiscal policy for the forward years. Budgets are called after the financial year they are handed down to Congress so that the 2018 budget relates to the 2018/19 financial year. As the budget is the supply of government and the government is required to pass it. Even if the House fails to pass the budget, even by one euro, then the Government is removed from office and if no new Prime Minister can be comfirmed, the President may call a dissoloution. In the preperation of the Budget Papers each minister, together with their Department secretary's, may make requests to the Treasury Department for additional funds for projects. The Treasury Department then may deny or accept the request. Seperation of powers Members of the Taigavu Government cannot occupy any position of occupational or trade leadership at the national level, any public employment, or any professional activity. These restrictions are in place to alleviate external pressure and influence on ministers, and to enable them to focus on their governmental work. Despite these restrictions, members of government are allowed to keep elected Federal positions, such as those of Member of the House of Representatives and Senator. The Constitution of Taigavu does not prohibit ministers from being the leader of a political party.. The government is responsible to the Congress of Taigavu. In particular, the government must assume responsibility for its actions before the House of Representatives, and the House can dismiss the government with a motion of confidence. The President & Prime Minister may convene Congress for extraordinary sessions, or add additional sitting days to the legislative calendar. Current government See: First Stephen Government Ministerial Portfolios The Ministerial Portfolios are created by the President & Prime Minister when appointing and selecting new Ministers. The current Portfolios are: * Prime Minister & Cabinet * Treasurer & Finance * Foreign Affairs & Trade * Home Affairs * National Defence, Immigration & National Security * Eductation, Early Childhood & Tertiary Education * Health & Human Social Services * Energy, Science & Innovation * Development & Infrastructure 'Departments ' The names of Departments often change in Taigavu based on the discretion of the President. This is a list of current Departemnts: * Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet * The Department of Finance * The of the Reserve Bank of Taigavu * The Department for Foreign Affairs * The Department for Trade * The Attorney-General’s Department * The Department of Internal Affairs * The Federal Police Force Department * The Department of Primary Education * The Department of Secondary Education * The Department of Tertiary Education * The Department of TAFE and Traineeships * The Department of Early Childhood * The Department of Health * The Department of Human and Social Service * The Department of Veteran Affairs * The Department of the Armed Forces * The Department of Immigration * Taigavu Security Network * The Department of the Environment * The Department of the Taigavu Energy Network * The Department of Innovation and Science * The Department of Infrastructure * The Department of Industry * The Department of Urbanization and Sustainable Development * The Department of Regional Development